The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-09-08
PAUPBR CHILDREN.

PAUPER CHILDREN.
INTERESTING EXPERIMENT GOING
ON AT BANsTEAD, ENGLAND.
Successful Attempt to Combine Effective
Control with Ample Home Advantages.
Results Of tho system-Persona1 Com.
fsrt, Education, Diet and Clothing.
At Banstead, in Surrey, there is being
worked out an experiment in the education
and bringing up Of pauper children which
is of exceptional interest. Few OF the
holders of the mansions of Kensington and
Chelsea are aware of the fact that as they
sit cozily in the Pullman express which
takes them to Brighton from the dirty me.
tropolis they pass within mile of a free
hold estate in which they have an uhdl;
vided share and on which is being carried
out q scheme for giving health and yigor
to the minds of the pauper children Of
their parishes which promises rs success
full results in it's own field as ever they in
dividually obtained from the inyigorating
sen breezes to which they are hastening'
To minds unfamiliar with the facts rs to
patiperism there is something startling in
the knowledge that from these two
parishes in the wealthy West End there
are no less than 700 pauper children to be
cared BRAND, If possible, made into use
full, citizens.
At Banstead an attempt is being made
to combine effective control with the home
advantages. On the high lands near
the Downs there are erected twenty three
houses, each standing in its own ground,
together with schools, hospitals, church
and the necessary administrative build
}ngs, on the twenty-seven acres which
form the little town. A street runs
throughout the length Of the site and the
houses and other buildings are arranged
on each side in roomy, tasteful manner:
Ten Of these houses are set apart for boys
and the remaining thirteen for the girls.
Over each of the boys houses are house
ried. The father follows sonlo trade or
occupation which is of use to the village
and its occupants. One is q carpenter,
another il tailor, while the others re-
spectively follow their callings as smith;
plumber, shoemaker, baker, gardener and
bandmnster. Over each Of the girls
houses is O house mother. Each of the
boys houses is occupied by thirty-eight
boys and each of the girls houses by
twenty-four girls. The house mother
performs the duties OF the home in her
own particular way. Every week she
sends to the store and obtains her weeks
supply of groceries. She cooks for her
children at her own fire and is assisted by
them. She does part of the washing for
her large family. The children wash the
door; Clean the dishes, sweep out the
rooms and perform the other household
duties under her direction. On the
ground floor are the kitchen, general
room, lavatory and the house mothers
room:
Up stairs are the bedrooms. The chill.
dren sleep in two rooms and each has q
separate bed. The good old rule of 'early
to bed! and early to rise" is strictly fol-
lowed. When the children are out of
school they are not made to sit on forms
against wall with their arms folded and
+ their toes turned out, staring into va
! cancy; as used to be the case; but they are
turned out into the house grounds, to
scamper and play at their own games and
to shout and be boys and girls like other
children. The house fathers cut toys for
their boys, repair their playthings and as
sist them in their little enterprises, just as
q real father does for his own boys. Some
of the children have animals which they
have purchased with the boarded pennies
they received at chance times, and they
are encouraged to tend them well and are
given facilities for keeping them. Others
of them have fenced of little g,lrdens,
where they raise hardy annual and shrubs.
The home life is necessarily not SO free as
that enjoyed by children in more fortu-
nate circumstances, but there can be no
doubt that the main characteristics of 1t
are there.
The education of these children Is un.
dertaken in most praiseworthy spirit.
The schools are examined every year by
; the inspectors Of the education depart
ment, and have secured satisfactory re-
ports as to the standard Of efficiency and
the thoroughness of the teaching. AS one
passed through the boys school and its
class rooms the eye met the familiar sums
set rs exercises, just as they used to
bother one in the school days gone by.
The girls school is conducted on the most
modern lines. In the infants school there
was the same thoroughness shown, as
also provision for relieving the strain of
study on their young minds. The mis-
tress played "See Saw" on piano in the
schoolroom, while the children went
through a series of exercises such as
hands up, on shoulders, stretch out and
-, 49, &1a
The greater part of the clothes are made
ON the site, and the whole of the bread
baked there. The washing s;also is done
In the village laundry or IN the houses.
It is practically a self contained hamlet,
I with its own roads, sewers and sewage
farm within its borders. AS the children
get up in years they are told off to assist
1.-THE. skilled fathers: :and mothers in their
trades. During the three years ended
1884, 100 of the children were placed in
situations as apprentices or at service,
and commenced an independent life on
their own account. OF the flfty-nine boys,
some went as hairdressers and pages, and
others were divided over eleven other
trades. OF the seyenty-one girls, sixty
nine went as servants one as hairdresser
and one as dressmaker. AS far as the
managers have been able to trace them in
their subsequent life, they have conducted
themselves with credit to their training.
The schools haye been in full work for
five years, and though that is not suffi-
|. cient period to pronounce definitely rs to
+ ultimate results Of the cottage home sys-
tenn, as it, called, yet it is long enough
to bear most encouraging fruit. and the
promise of success.
The dieting of the children Is very good.
The clothing is warm and substantial.
The children bear ruddy, healthy look,
and are pictures of strong, growing boys
( and girls: Some of them are of an un-
mistakably low type, while others have
bright, Intelligent faces. They bear an
unimpeachable testimony to the more hui.
name treatment they receive than did
Oliver Twist in the days of llnrcgenerated
Bumbledom.- Mall Gazette.
- An Important Condition.
Tommy's mother has had a terrible
time teaching him to remember always to
say 'Sif you please'' ut the table. His
memory is lamentably bad.
The other day this dialogue took place
at the breakfast table:
Tommy-Mamma, pass me the butter.
Mamrla-1f, what, Tommy?
Tommy-If You kin reach it.-Boston